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theguardian.com
Trump ‘plans to roll back’ some metal tariffs; NatWest hands bankers £495m bonus pot – business live
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsThe FTSE 100 is still holding up this morning, up 0.13% as it recovers from some of the AI fear trade that has dominated the stock market this week.Neil Wilson, investor strategist at Saxo Markets, says that a broad AI fear trade is taking place, touching most parts of the market – apart from those that are more sheltered from the disruption: materials, energy and staples. Continue reading...
bbc.com
Trump revokes key climate ruling which he says has made cars pricier
The White House calls it the largest deregulation in US history, but environmentalists say it will prove costly for Americans.
cnbc.com
European stocks mixed after latest AI Wall Street sell-off
AI fears hit stocks on Wall Street on Thursday, with real estate, trucking and software shares among the hardest hit.
theguardian.com
Shares in trucking and logistics firms plunge after AI freight tool launch
SemiCab platform by Algorhythm, previously considered a ‘penny stock’, sparks ‘category 5 paranoia’ across sectorShares in trucking and logistics companies have plunged as the sector became the latest to be targeted by investors fearful that new artificial intelligence tools could slash demand.A new tool launched by Algorhythm, a former maker of in-car karaoke systems turned AI company with a market capitalisation of just $6m (£4.4m), sparked a sell-off on Thursday that made the logistics industry the latest victim of AI jitters that have already rocked listed companies operating in the software and real estate sectors. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘A great wee place’: the small Scottish factory crafting Olympic curling stones
All stones in Cortina are made from granite found on tiny island in Firth of Clyde and crafted in East Ayrshire“It takes 60m years and about six hours to make a curling stone,” shouts Ricky English above the whine of the lathes. The operations manager at Kays Scotland is surrounded by wheels of ancient granite in varying states of refinement.It is a small business with a big responsibility: the only factory in the world to supply the Winter Olympics with curling stones. Competitors don’t travel with their own stones, which weigh about 18kg each, and with 16 required for a game. Instead, this year, 132 stones were crafted in the East Ayrshire town of Mauchline and shipped to northern Italy. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
How China's 'unruly' speculators might be fueling the frenzy in gold market
Gold has rarely been this volatile, and the bullion's sharp price swings are increasingly being linked to China's speculative traders, some analysts believe.
cnbc.com
These four charts show how reliant Europe is on U.S. digital infrastructure
U.S. companies hold 85% of the European cloud market, per data from Synergy Research Group, a market analytics company.
theguardian.com
Paul Thwaite seals largest payout for NatWest CEO since disgraced Fred Goodwin in 2006
Thwaite given £6.6m pay package for 2025, while Goodwin received £7.7m when bank was known as RBSBusiness live – latest updatesThe NatWest boss, Paul Thwaite, has clinched the largest payout for a chief executive of the banking group since his disgraced predecessor Fred Goodwin took home £7.7m in the lead-up to the 2008 financial crisis.Thwaite, who guided the once-bailed-out lender to full private ownership last year, was given a £6.6m pay package for 2025, with the boardroom lifting his overall pay by a third. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Reform UK’s Kent council faces ‘extreme risk’ after passing first budget
Councillors vote for 3.99% council tax increase while mounting ‘attack on the vulnerable’, opposition saysReform UK’s showcase council in Kent faces “extreme risk” and “instability”, opposition politicians have warned, after it passed its first budget.The party’s councillors voted it through on Thursday night after their leaders announced a 3.99% council tax increase, one percentage point under the limit before a referendum is required, despite promising before their election win not to raise tax. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Asia stock markets track losses on Wall Street as AI fears hit sentiment
Shares of office real estate and logistics firms sank after the release of AI tools that could replicate their businesses — or eat into their profit margins.
cnbc.com
China's Baidu adds OpenClaw AI into search app for 700 million users ahead of Lunar New Year
Chinese search engine operator Baidu plans Friday to start letting smartphone app users to directly tell OpenClaw AI to perform tasks.
cnbc.com
CNBC Daily Open: The AI fear spreads — real estate, trucking and logistics are its latest victims
The latest victims of artificial intelligence are real estate, trucking and logistics stocks, joining financial and software stocks in plunging on AI fears.
bbc.com
AirAsia accused by artist for allegedly using his work without consent
A Penang-based street artist says his work has been "reproduced" as part of a livery on an aircraft
theguardian.com
Homes for sale in England for £300,000 or less – in pictures
From a picturesque cottage in a country village to a listed building in the heart of bustling Manchester Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Reeves urged to reassure MPs over public finances amid £6bn-a-year Send costs
City analysts say financial market investors will be worried if cost is deducted from budget surplusRachel Reeves is under pressure to reassure MPs over the state of the UK’s public finances, amid concerns that the rising cost of special educational needs and disabilities (Send) could leave a significant hole in the government’s financial buffer.Meg Hillier, the chair of the all-party House of Commons Treasury committee, said the chancellor should make clear her long-term plans for the £6bn-a-year Send bill as uncertainty grows over how it will be accounted for at the end of the decade. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
First-time buyers enjoy biggest choice of low-deposit mortgages in UK since 2008
More than 500 deals now offer 95% loans as banks and building societies loosen their borrowing rulesWould-be first-time buyers have the biggest choice of low-deposit mortgages for at least 18 years, new data shows, suggesting that 2026 is looking positive for those trying to get a foot on the property ladder.In recent months many banks and building societies have been loosening their affordability rules or launching deals that let people borrow 95% of the property’s value, and in some cases more than that. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Experience: I’m a professional chef in Antarctica
You have to be careful managing supplies – there is one delivery a yearThe first time anyone goes to the Antarctic is truly special. Just getting there is an adventure: it takes several planes, and about three to five days. Travelling there was a childhood dream of mine. I saw it as a way to test myself against something so much bigger. I nearly applied for a role at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) 30 years ago, but then my wife and I were expecting our first child. Instead, I’ve worked as a chef in Michelin-star restaurants in Paris and London, hotels in Kuala Lumpur and St Moritz, and even at a school in Oxfordshire.In 2016, I took a sabbatical and finally joined BAS as a chef for a summer. Five years later, I went back for the winter, and last year, I became the organisation’s full-time catering manager. I felt ready for an adventure. Now I oversee the catering across BAS’s five Antarctic stations: bases for the organisation’s research and also where the staff live. Each year, I spend three months there; for the rest of the time I work at BAS’s HQ in Cambridge. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
U.S.–China proxy battle over Panama Canal ports set to intensify as CK Hutchison warns of legal action
The simmering dispute has become a geopolitical flashpoint between Washington and Beijing, with Panama caught in the crossfires.
bbc.com
AI safety leader says 'world is in peril' and quits to study poetry
It comes in the same week an OpenAI researcher resigned amid concerns about its decision to start testing ChatGPT ads.
cnbc.com
India approves Rafale jet purchase in $40 billion defense package ahead of Macron visit
This is part of New Delhi's 3.6 trillion rupee defence spending plans announced on Thursday,
cnbc.com
Epstein files: Goldman Sachs top lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler to step down after email fallout
Kathryn Ruemmler joins a growing list of people whose professional lives have been rocked by their past associations with Jeffrey Epstein.
theguardian.com
Gold thief flees scene of the crime on donkey in central Turkey – video
A suspect who broke into a jewellery store using a forklift, allegedly stole 150 grams of gold, and fled the scene on a donkey was arrested in Kayseri, central Turkey. Police teams from the provincial police department identified the suspect after reviewing security camera footage following the incident. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Xiaomi's electric SUV tops China sales in January, sells twice as many as Tesla's Model Y
Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi has priced its vehicles below Tesla's and marketed features it claims are comparable or superior.
bbc.com
Taylor Swift asks US government to block 'Swift Home' trademark
Her team argued that a bedding firm's designs showed similarities to her trademarked signature.
cnbc.com
U.S. signs trade deal with Taiwan, lowering tariffs to 15%, while Taipei to boost American goods purchases
Taiwan has also committed to purchase over $84 billion of U.S. goods, including energy and aviation products
cnbc.com
Meet the high-profile Emirati business leader lawmakers are linking to Epstein ‘torture’ email
U.S. officials have identified DP World's Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem as the recipient of a 2009 email from Jeffrey Epstein regarding a supposed "torture video."
cnbc.com
CNBC Daily Open: AI is coming after more sectors, and its pace isn't slowing
The latest victims of artificial intelligence are real estate, trucking and logistics stocks, joining financial and software stocks in plunging on AI fears.
bbc.com
Costs from Trump's tariffs paid mainly by US firms and consumers, NY Fed says
Last year, collective import tariff rates on various goods coming into the US more than tripled.
cnbc.com
A year into Trump tariffs, Chinese factories and ports are buzzing with activity
A year after Trump's tariffs spooked manufacturers and customers, Chinese factories and ports were humming unfethered ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.
bbc.com
AI coding platform's flaws allow BBC reporter to be hacked
Vibe-coding tools - which let people without coding skills create apps using AI - are exploding in popularity.
bbc.com
Rain and politics driving up half-term holiday bookings, travel agents say
The Advantage Travel Partnerships says rain plus the political environment is creating a "powerful psychological need for escape".
bbc.com
The US economy is growing - so where are all the jobs?
As hiring rates and job openings drop, some worry a tough job market could be here to stay.
bbc.com
Get a grip: Robotics firms struggle to develop hands
Developing a durable and affordable hand is one of the biggest challenges in robotics.
theguardian.com
Tony Blair’s thinktank accuses Ed Miliband of driving up energy prices
Report by Tony Blair Institute urges government to drop some green policies amid criticism of decarbonisation goalAnalysis: Blair’s oil lobbying is a misleading rehash of fossil fuel industry spinTony Blair’s thinktank has accused Ed Miliband of driving up energy prices in his push to make Britain’s energy supply more environmentally friendly.The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) published a report on Friday criticising the government’s green policies and urging the energy secretary to drop some of them altogether, including almost completely decarbonising the electricity system by 2030. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Attempt to modernise NS&I has been a ‘full-spectrum disaster’, MPs find
Spending watchdog says state-owned bank exposed taxpayers to ‘unacceptable risk’ as cost spiral to £3bnAn attempt to modernise the state-owned savings bank NS&I has been a “full-spectrum disaster”, parliament’s spending watchdog has concluded in a damning report.NS&I (National Savings & Investments), which runs a popular monthly cash-prize draw for premium bond holders, has been criticised by a committee of MPs for exposing the taxpayer to “unacceptable risk” owing to the spiralling costs of its £3bn modernisation programme. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Food firms urge Europe not to ban calling non-meat products ‘sausages’
Exclusive: Manufacturers tell European Commission proposed ban would cause unnecessary confusionMore than a dozen food companies have urged the European Commission not to ban the use of words such as “sausage” and “burger” for non-meat products.Companies including Linda McCarney Foods, Quorn and THIS have signed a joint letter calling on commissioners to “let common sense prevail” ahead of a debate on the proposed ban, which they say would cause “unnecessary confusion” for customers “without helping anyone”. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Tony Blair’s oil lobbying is a misleading rehash of fossil fuel industry spin
Ex-PM’s thinktank urges more drilling and fewer renewables, ignoring evidence that clean energy is cheaper and better for billsA thinktank with close ties to Saudi Arabia and substantial funding from a Donald Trump ally needs to present a particularly robust analysis to earn the right to be listened to on the climate crisis. On that measure, Tony Blair’s latest report fails on almost every point.The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) received money from the Saudi government, has advised the United Arab Emirates petrostate, and counts as a main donor Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle, friend of Trump and advocate of AI. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Apple's stock has worst day since April as iPhone maker faces FTC scrutiny, reports of Siri delay
The iPhone maker faces reported delays in its AI assistant and pressure from FTC chair Andrew Ferguson to look into possible political bias.
cnbc.com
Cisco stock has worst day since 2022 as memory prices pressure margins
Cisco shares plunged 12% Thursday after the company issued lukewarm guidance as memory prices weigh on profit margins
cnbc.com
Safe-haven currencies might not be so safe after a volatile year. Here's how the market is rethinking the Swiss franc, dollar and yen
One strategist said the currencies have "undoubtedly lost some of their sheen," while others warned of more volatility ahead.
theguardian.com
NHS deal with AI firm Palantir called into question after officials’ concerns revealed
Exclusive: in 2025 briefing to Wes Streeting, officials warned reputation of tech firm behind US ICE operations would hinder rollout of data system in UK Health officials fear Palantir’s reputation will hinder the delivery of a “vital” £330m NHS contract, according to briefings seen by the Guardian, sparking fresh calls for the deal to be scrapped.In 2023, ministers selected Palantir, a US surveillance technology company that also works for the Israeli military and Donald Trump’s ICE operation, to build an AI-enabled data platform to connect disparate health information across the NHS. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Rivian stock rises 15% as automaker tops Q4 expectations, targets significant production increase
Rivian's 2026 guidance includes increasing vehicle deliveries to between 62,000 and 67,000 units, which would be up by 47% to 59% compared to 2025.
theguardian.com
Anthropic raises $30bn in latest round, valuing Claude bot maker at $380bn
Maker of chatbot boasting coding ability said annualized revenue grew tenfold in each of past three years, to $14bnThe artificial intelligence company Anthropic said on Thursday it raised $30bn in its latest funding round that values the Claude maker and OpenAI rival at $380bn, underscoring the breakneck pace of AI investments.The round, led by the Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC and hedge fund Coatue Management, is among the largest private fundraising deals on record and comes just five months after Anthropic closed its previous round at a $183bn valuation – meaning the company has more than doubled in value since September. Continue reading...
bbc.com
US antitrust chief resigns amid tensions with Trump officials
The departure of Gail Slater has raised questions about the White House's approach to policing big mergers and monopolies.
cnbc.com
Airbnb shares rise on company's revenue beat, rosy guidance
Airbnb reported fourth-quarter results that beat on revenue and offered rosy guidance.
bbc.com
FTC warns Apple over alleged lack of conservative news
The tech giant is facing pressure over claims that its news app does not feature articles from conservative outlets.
cnbc.com
Trucking and logistics stocks drop on release of AI freight scaling tool
A new tool from AI company Algorhythm Holdings has made trucking companies the latest victim of the market's AI jitters.
cnbc.com
Trump revokes EPA finding on greenhouse gas threat in huge blow to climate change regulations
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin officially revoked the endangerment finding, in a huge blow to U.S. efforts to fight climate change.
cnbc.com
Anthropic closes $30 billion funding round as cash keeps flowing into top AI startups
After OpenAI raised the largest private tech financing round on record last year at over $40 billion, Anthropic is now second, with its $30 billion raise.
theguardian.com
Football must reject Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s cynical, self-serving electioneering | Barney Ronay
Tax exile has already proven himself a terrible club owner; now his ill-informed diatribe about immigration has poured fuel on wider flamesWell I, for one, am shocked. Shocked to learn that a tax-exiled English expat who made his billions squeezing chemical plants doesn’t have liberal, let alone accurate, views on immigration. Or at least, in public anyway.It seems highly likely Sir Jim Ratcliffe knew what he was doing in the course of his now semi-recanted Sky News interview. And it is above all vital that at least one part of his empire of influence – football, sport, Manchester United – rejects it, as the club have done to some extent in their statement. Continue reading...
bbc.com
Salmon exports remain high but Scotch whisky falls
Scottish salmon exports increased in tonnage by 9%, while the volume of Scotch whisky exports dropped by 4.3%.
cnbc.com
Trump administration will end immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota: Homan
Border czar Tom Homan said President Donald Trump has agreed with his proposal to conclude a federal immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota.
bbc.com
Tesco plans to give under-18s Clubcard access this year
Consumer outlet Which? has been campaigning on access to loyalty schemes, calling it a "huge win for shoppers".
theguardian.com
Guardian view on Sir Jim Ratcliffe: Britain does not need political lectures from a billionaire tax exile | Editorial
Comments on the ‘colonisation of the UK’ by the co-owner of Manchester United were erroneous, crass and a gift to divisive forces in British societyIn 2020, the year Sir Jim Ratcliffe moved his huge fortune to Monaco, migrants in the United Kingdom made tax contributions estimated to be worth around £20bn. Sir Jim, by jetting off to a tax haven on the French Riviera, saved himself an estimated £4bn. It took some brass neck for the expat owner of Ineos and co-owner of Manchester United football club to lecture the country, using inflammatory and offensive language, on the perils of immigration.Where to begin? The statistics used by Sir Jim to back his claim that Britain was being “colonised” by migrants, in an interview with Sky News, were flatly wrong. They were also astonishingly crass, coming from a man who presides over a sporting institution famous for and proud of its global fanbase and international connections.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Lisa Nandy refers Telegraph sale to watchdogs over rightwing media plurality concerns
CMA and Ofcom to examine DMGT takeover amid fears merger could curb ‘diverging editorial stances’ in pressLisa Nandy, the culture secretary, has referred the Telegraph’s proposed sale to the publisher of the Daily Mail to the competition and media watchdogs, weeks after she raised concerns about the consolidation of rightwing newspapers.Nandy said she was using her powers to refer the £500m deal for the Telegraph titles, which include the Daily Telegraph and its Sunday sister paper, to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the media regulator Ofcom. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
How to deal with the “Claude crash”: Relx should keep buying back shares, then buy more | Nils Pratley
The firm remains confident even as the market flips from seeing it as an AI winner to fearing its profit margin will implodeAs the FTSE 100 index bobs along close to all-time highs, it is easy to miss the quiet share price crash in one corner of the market. It’s got a name – the “Claude crash”, referencing the plug-in legal products added by the AI firm Anthropic to its Claude Cowork office assistant.This launch, or so you would think from the panicked stock market reaction in the past few weeks, marks the moment when the AI revolution rips chunks out of some of the UK’s biggest public companies – those in the dull but successful “data” game, including Relx, the London Stock Exchange Group, Experian, Sage and Informa. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Ben Jennings on Jim Ratcliffe’s ‘colonisation’ comments – cartoon
Discover and buy more of Ben’s cartoons hereOrder your own print of this cartoon from the Guardian Print Shop Continue reading...
bbc.com
Probe ordered into Daily Mail owner's £500m takeover of Telegraph
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy orders a review of the deal on public interest and competition grounds.
bbc.com
Thousands queue as beauty store arrives on island of Ireland
Almost 2,000 people joined the queue for the opening of a new store in Belfast this morning.
theguardian.com
Ratcliffe backlash: outrage over Manchester United boss comments | The Latest
The Monaco-based billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has said he is sorry that his ‘choice of language has offended some people’, after growing outrage over his comments that the UK was being ‘colonised by immigrants’.The Manchester United co-owner has faced a mounting backlash since making the remarks, which have been labelled hypocritical and reminiscent of ‘far-right narratives’.Lucy Hough speaks to the sports writer and columnist Jonathan Liew. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Trump tariffs leave importers with record-breaking $3.5 billion U.S. Customs bond funding shortfall
U.S. Customs identified close to $3.6 billion in surety bond insufficiencies in fiscal 2025, a financial guarantee trade experts say has soared due to tariffs.
theguardian.com
Jim Ratcliffe apologises for ‘choice of language’ after saying immigrants ‘colonising’ UK
Monaco-based Manchester United co-owner responds to politicians’ and football fans’ anger at ‘disgraceful’ wordsUK politics live – latest updatesMonaco-based billionaire Jim Ratcliffe faced implicit criticism from the football club he co-owns, after widespread condemnation of his claims that the UK is being “colonised” by immigrants.The Manchester United co-owner was forced to issue a heavily qualified apology on Thursday after citing inaccurate immigration statisticsin comments labelled hypocritical and reminiscent of “far-right narratives”. Following a day of censure from the prime minister, football fans, union leaders and anti-racism campaigners, Ratcliffe said he was sorry his “choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe”. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Trump named ‘undisputed champion of beautiful clean coal’ by industry group
Award was presented as president directed Pentagon to buy billions of dollars’ worth of energy from coal plantsUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump was crowned the “undisputed champion of beautiful clean coal” during a White House ceremony on Wednesday, during which the president received a trophy after ordering the US defense department to purchase billions of dollars’ worth of power from coal plants.The award was reportedly granted by the Washington Coal Club, an advocacy group with financial ties to the coal industry. Continue reading...
bbc.com
'Tens of thousands' affected by law firm collapse
The Solicitors Regulation Authority say an investigation into PM Law's collapse is ongoing.
cnbc.com
After weeks of tension, Trump is still talking tough on Iran. Here's what could happen next
After weeks of tension, Trump is still talking tough on Iran. Here's what could happen next
theguardian.com
Ratcliffe says immigrants cost too much, while Ineos lobbies for state funding
Billionaire’s business has in recent years claimed UK and EU support for refineries and chemicals plants worth about €800mJim Ratcliffe apologises for ‘choice of language’ after saying immigrants were ‘colonising’ UKThe backlash against Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments about immigrants to the UK “costing too much” for the state comes at an awkward time for his loss-making Ineos business.The billionaire industrialist’s sprawling empire, which ranges from chemicals to car making, has sought government financial support worth hundreds of millions of pounds and is lobbying for further state aid from the UK and EU to stay afloat. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘People like cheap energy’: the bagel shop saving money and emissions with plug-in batteries
A pilot scheme in Brooklyn is giving businesses batteries to form an electricity storage network – part of a growing number of innovative DIY energy ideas around the worldIn the back of Black Seed Bagels in northern Brooklyn is a giant catering kitchen filled with industrial-size containers of condiments and freezers full of dough. A tall, silver electric oven named the Baconator stands in a far corner, cooking thousands of pounds of meat every week to accompany Black Seed’s hand-rolled, wood-fired bagels. The Baconator is connected to a battery the size of a carry-on suitcase, which is plugged into the wall.While the morning rush is under way, the 2.8-kilowatt-hour battery can directly power the commercial oven to reduce the company’s reliance on the electric grid, Noah Bernamoff, Black Seed’s co-owner, explained recently at the company’s Bushwick shop. Two more batteries are paired with energy-intensive refrigerators in the front. Continue reading...
bbc.com
Who is billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe and how did he make his money?
The industrialist and Manchester United co-owner has apologised over comments he made about immigration.
bbc.com
Reeves says 'more to do' after sluggish GDP growth
The chancellor's comments came after figures showed the UK economy saw a lacklustre end to 2025.
theguardian.com
We can move beyond the capitalist model and save the climate – here are the first three steps | Jason Hickel and Yanis Varoufakis
Capitalism cares about our species’ prospects as much as a wolf cares about a lamb’s. But democratise our economy and a better world is within our graspWe have an urgent responsibility. Our existing economic system is incapable of addressing the social and ecological crises we face in the 21st century. When we look around we see an extraordinary paradox. On the one hand, we have access to remarkable new technologies and a collective capacity to produce more food, more stuff than we need or that the planet can afford. Yet at the same time, millions of people suffer in conditions of severe deprivation.What explains this paradox? Capitalism. By capitalism we do not mean markets, trade and entrepreneurship, which have been around for thousands of years before the rise of capitalism. By capitalism we mean something very odd and very specific: an economic system that boils down to a dictatorship run by the tiny minority who control capital – the big banks, the major corporations and the 1% who own the majority of investible assets. Even if we live in a democracy and have a choice in our political system, our choices never seem to change the economic system. Capitalists are the ones who determine what to produce, how to use our labour and who gets to benefit. The rest of us – the people who are actually doing the production – do not get a say. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Tech IPO hype gets drowned out on Wall Street by prospect of $1 trillion in debt sales
SpaceX's potential IPO has generated plenty of investor buzz, but all of the real action in tech capital markets is currently on the debt side.
theguardian.com
Ex-Barclays boss Jes Staley was trustee of Jeffrey Epstein’s estate until 2015, files say
Information appears to contradict court testimony by banker in 2025 over nature of ties to convicted sex offenderThe former Barclays boss Jes Staley was named as a trustee of Jeffrey Epstein’s estate until at least May 2015, according to documents that appear to contradict court testimony given by the banker.This month the Guardian revealed that US prosecutors had reviewed allegations of rape and bodily harm against Staley, who denies any wrongdoing. He has never been charged with a crime related to the allegations. Continue reading...
bbc.com
Civil service pension backlog 'overwhelmed' Capita, boss says
Thousands of retiring civil servants have been left without pension payments causing hardship for some.
cnbc.com
SoftBank books $4.2 billion gain on OpenAI bet, boosting its Vision Fund
SoftBank posted a $2.4 billion gain at its Vision Fund as a jump in the value of its OpenAI investment helped offset losses in some of its other bets.
theguardian.com
‘Another way to gamble money’: booming prediction markets prompt confusion and concern
Polymarket and Kalshi are less regulated than betting sites, but users can win or lose large sums on the platformsYadin Eldar, 21, has been betting on prediction markets since 2019. His friends think he’s “crazy”, he said. But the craze surrounding these platforms is rapidly gathering steam.Users can bet on virtually anything, from the outcome of Sunday’s Super Bowl to whether the US will invade Greenland, every second of every day. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Russia shrugs off Trump’s tariff threats on those who provide oil to Cuba
The comments came in response to a question about whether Russia was concerned about the Trump administration's tariff threats.
theguardian.com
Families falling apart because of UK’s ‘broken’ paternity leave, study suggests
About 39% of separated parents say not sharing caring responsibilities contributed to breakdown of relationshipUK politics live – latest updatesMore than one in three separated parents believe the UK’s “pitiful” paternity leave played a part in their breakup, research has suggested.The campaign groups, The Dad Shift and Movember, said hundreds of thousands of families were falling apart as a result of a parental leave system described by MPs as “one of the worst in the developed world”. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Here’s a key task for the new boss at the BBC: solve the mystery of all the disappearing women | Anne McElvoy
A report detailing how the careers of female presenters are curtailed should be a clarion call. The problem has endured for too longAs the BBC closes in on a new director general, the possibility again arises that it could be a woman. The talk is of the former BBC One controller Jay Hunt, the former Channel 4 boss Alex Mahon or the former BBC chief content officer Charlotte Moore.At this point in the BBC’s history, almost everyone would applaud a woman at the top – but clearly the institution needs a lot more than a woman, however pioneering and accomplished, at the helm. We know from the excoriating report commissioned by the broadcaster itself that it has a grave problem with dwindling numbers of “older women” presenters. Trevor Phillips, 72, still shines at Sky, while David Aaronovitch, 71, is deservedly a fixture on Radio 4: they’re just older men, experienced journalists, doing their thing. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Inside Will Lewis’s tumultuous two years as publisher of the Washington Post
Before the Post’s sweeping layoffs and Lewis’s abrupt resignation, his tenure was marked by controversy and clashes with staffStanding on the seventh floor in the center of the Washington Post’s open newsroom on the morning of 3 June 2024, publisher Will Lewis decided to deliver some tough love to a news organization he had taken charge of five months earlier.Lewis, a veteran of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, had replaced Fred Ryan, a former Ronald Reagan aide who had presided over some of the Post’s profitable years – during the first Trump administration – but lost the confidence of some staffers after clashing with employees during a late 2022 town hall. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
UK economy limps along at 0.1% growth – but there are reasons for optimism in 2026
Consumers and businesses are not yet taking the hint despite six interest rate cutsUK economy grows by only 0.1% amid falling business investmentBusiness live – latest updatesRachel Reeves has suggested 2026 is the year Labour can start to deliver on its economic promises; but 0.1% GDP growth in the final quarter of last year is hardly the springboard she was hoping for.In the supportive message on X she sent on Monday as Keir Starmer’s future appeared under threat, the chancellor claimed “the conditions for the economy to grow are there”. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
There's an India-U.S.-Russia love-hate triangle — and it's complicated
An audacity of opacity has seen observers suggest that India is being "strategically ambiguous" when it comes to the U.S. trade deal.
theguardian.com
Economics has failed on the climate crisis. This complexity scientist has a mind-blowing plan to fix that
Doyne Farmer says a super-simulator of the global economy would accelerate the transition to a green, clean worldIt’s a mind-blowing idea: an economic model of the world in which every company is individually represented, making realistic decisions that change as the economy changes. From this astonishing complexity would emerge forecasts of unprecedented clarity. These would be transformative: no more flying blind into global financial crashes, no more climate policies that fail to shift the dial.This super simulator could be built for what Prof Doyne Farmer calls the bargain price of $100m, thanks to advances in complexity science and computing power. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
BTS comeback tour turbocharges concert tourism, with hotel searches jumping as much as 6,700%
The announcement of South Korean boyband BTS' comeback global tour is expected to boost tourism in host cities.
theguardian.com
What bots talk about when they think humans aren’t listening – podcast
In late January a new social media site took a certain corner of the internet by storm. Moltbook was conceived as a space where AI assistants could let off steam, chat and compare notes on their bosses, but it quickly became the focus of breathless claims that the singularity had arrived as the bots started badmouthing their humans and plotting an uprising. So what’s the truth about Moltbook? Madeleine Finlay hears from Aisha Down about what it tells us about AI, and about us.What is Moltbook? The strange new social media site for AI botsSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...
bbc.com
The Dutch love four-day working weeks, but are they sustainable?
The Netherlands has the lowest working hours in Europe, but some say it is harming its economy.
theguardian.com
Chaos and confusion in El Paso after airspace closed and quickly reopened
Officials in US border city say FAA decisions caused major disruption – and residents are still scrambling for answersOfficials in Texas were left scrambling for answers on Wednesday after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a surprise order to shut down the airspace over El Paso for 10 days and then, as turmoil ensued in the city on the US-Mexico border, abruptly lifted it within hours.Local leaders in the west Texas city said that they received no prior warning or explanation and the stunning announcement had put lives at risk. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
NUS urges ‘loan shark’ Reeves to reverse changes to student debt repayment
Policy announced in autumn budget freezes threshold at which students start repaying university loansProtesters dressed as sharks and in Rachel Reeves face masks gathered outside the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday to express their anger over changes to their student loans and their ballooning debt.The demonstration by members of the National Union of Students (NUS) characterised the chancellor as a loan shark after changes to university loan repayments. Continue reading...
bbc.com
Lloyds Banking Group to close another 95 branches
The closures have been announced days after Santander said it would shut branches.
bbc.com
Would you pay £7.50 for a pint of Guinness?
A Market Rasen pub asks customers about the cost of Guinness ahead of a price increase in April.
theguardian.com
Mixed message in France’s letter about fertility | Letters
Daniel Whittington writes that it shows a lack of understanding; plus letters on the length of maternity leave and the emotional cost of leaving conception too lateAs a 24-year-old French man, I think this plan (France’s letters to 29-year-olds to remind them to have babies is a spectacular missing of the point, 10 February) reveals a mind‑boggling lack of understanding by our country’s leaders of what is actually going through the minds of our generation.For as long as I can remember, teachers, scientists and the media have been telling us that the world is essentially ending and that life on Earth will not endure. The tone varies, but that is the general message we have grown up with. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Empathy engineer: is this the £110k job of your dreams?
British applicants are missing out on lucrative contracts in the tech sector because they haven’t got a clue what the job actually isName: Empathy engineer.Age: New. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘I am never off the clock’: inside the booming world of gen Z side hustles
More young Americans are taking on side gigs to explore their passions and make extra cash while navigating an unstable job marketAashna Doshi, a software engineer at Google, is constantly monitoring her headspace. “This way I don’t burn myself out,” she said. “And I stay a lot more consistent with my podcast and content creation work.”On top of her day job in the tech giant’s security and artificial intelligence department, Doshi also publishes social media content about working in tech and her life in New York City, and records podcasts – sometimes all three in a day. Continue reading...
bbc.com
What's driving Northern Ireland's falling fuel prices?
As petrol prices fall to their lowest levels in five years, BBC News NI takes a look at what's behind the drop.
bbc.com
Netflix and Paramount are battling for Warner Bros. Who is likely to win?
What to know about the two firms' blockbuster battle to control Warner Bros Discovery.
bbc.com
How £50m 'fish disco' could save farmland
Innovative tech scares fish away from nuclear cooling pipes.
bbc.com
Why food fraud persists, even with improving tech
Even with sophisticated technology it is still difficult to detect fake foods.
bbc.com
Donation appeal as vulnerable face food bank delay
A mental health support team set up a pantry in Wolverhampton to help those living in food poverty.
bbc.com
Plane makers chase Asia's super-rich with luxe new private jets
Parts of the aviation industry are shifting towards wealthy customers and selling a more luxurious type of international travel.
bbc.com
Kids can be the harshest critics…
The candidates test their story on a group of kids.
bbc.com
Should you overpay your mortgage or save?
Martin Lewis explains.
bbc.com
Bank of England chief 'shocked' at Mandelson emails
The Bank governor criticised emails between Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein during the financial crisis.
bbc.com
Watch: 20-tonne reservoir wall installed in three-day project
The steel structure was lowered into place at the new reservoir in a 72-hour continuous operation.
bbc.com
The real impact of roadworks on the country - and why they're set to get worse
There is a fine balance between the benefits of improved infrastructure, versus the cost of disruption. Does the country have it right?
bbc.com
Why the railways often seem to be in such chaos over Christmas
Parts of Britain’s rail network will close for engineering work over the festive period - but is that the right time to do it?
bbc.com
Budget 2025: What's the best and worst that could happen for Labour?
Three days in, after a tax U-turn and partial climbdown on workers' rights, Laura Kuenssberg looks at what impact Budget week might have.
bbc.com
Has Britain's budget watchdog become too all-powerful?
Ahead of this week's Budget, some have accused the Office for Budget Responsibility of being a "straitjacket on growth"
bbc.com
The curious case of why Poundland is struggling during a cost-of-living crisis
Why - in an age where so many of us are feeling the financial pinch - are some budget shops on UK high streets having such a tough time?
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